What is the teardown trend?

"The damage caused by teardowns in historic neighborhoods only begins with the demolition of historic houses. What comes next can be even more destructive: the construction of new, oversized structures that disrupt architectural character, diminish livability, and reduce economic and social diversity throughout the neighborhood. "A teardown is the demolition of an existing home structure. This trend is devastating older neighborhoods across the nation. "Evidence of the teardown trend can be found among the older, inner-ring suburbs surrounding Chicago and Boston, in desirable urban neighborhoods in Atlanta, Dallas and Denver, in the "techno-boom" towns around San Francisco and Seattle, in conveniently located commuter suburbs in New Jersey and Maryland and in historic resort towns from Palm Beach to Palm Springs. "It is common to find Teardowns concentrated in areas where the homes are relatively small, typically two or three bedrooms and ranging from 1,000 to 1,800 square feet. Many of the homes were built in the early 20th century, when a growing economy and more accessible lending policies allowed large numbers of city-dwellers to buy private homes for the first time. Lot sizes vary from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet with the house covering only 20 % of the lot. Here is how the teardown practice typically works:
1. Developers look for properties in established neighborhoods where there is a potential to build far more square footage than is contained in the existing home.
2. The existing house is purchased and bulldozed.
3. The lot is scraped clean.
4. A much larger house is erected and the completed project offered for sale.
"Today's teardown trend is another example of how we sometimes carelessly throw away our valuable heritage in the name of progress and change. Dozens of economic studies have shown that property values in historic districts consistently increase — and moreover, they rise at a faster rate than properties in similar, but unprotected, neighborhoods nearby."

— Protecting America's Historic Neighborhoods: Taming the Teardown Trend, National Trust for Historic Preservation

What is INCOG?

INCOG describes itself as "a voluntary association of local governments serving Creek, Osage, Tulsa, Rogers, and Wagoner counties." Why is it needed? "Today’s communities face problems whose solutions often exceed the reach of a single local government." So, to fill the gap between our City Councilors' stubby limbs in City Hall and the neighborhood plats across the plaza, INCOG "provides local and regional planning, information, coordination, communications, implementation and management services...The council of governments is not a unit of government, but a voluntary association that comes together to build consensus in solutions to regional problems." So, "requests for zoning and land division changes for Tulsa and unincorporated areas of Tulsa County are handled by the Land Development Services Division...The staff makes recommendations to the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, an advisory board to the Tulsa City Council and Tulsa County Commission. After proper zoning is acquired, Land Development Services staff processes the platting of the tract, if necessary. "These two services help ensure that the area develops according to approved guidelines. The staff also processes requests for zoning variances and special exceptions for the Tulsa City and County Boards of Adjustment." Makes sense. In theory, INCOG would be better insulated from special interest group pressure. Lest we think they are too removed, too undemocratic, unaccountable: "Citizens have a voice in the planning process through the Public Participation Program. For example, neighborhood associations are notified of rezoning and board of adjustment issues in their areas. Planning teams composed of members of neighborhood associations provide advice to the TMAPC on the Comprehensive Plan, zoning applications related to the plan and the capital improvements process." Their agendas are posted on their website here. Members are below; Executive Committee members are marked with an asterisk.

Maria Barnes	City Council Member	City of Tulsa
Tex Bayouth	City Manager	City of Hominy
Roger Boomer	Commissioner	Creek County
Ray Bowen	Mayor	City of Bixby
Clarence Brantley	Commissioner	Osage County
Robert F. Breuning	Citizen	Tulsa County Towns
Shayne Buchanan	Mayor	City of Glenpool
Mike Burdge	City Council Member	City of Sand Springs
Johnny Burke	Commissioner	Creek County
Cason Carter	City Council Member	City of Tulsa
Richard Carter, Vice Chair*	City Council Member	City of Broken Arrow
Bill Christiansen	City Council Member	City of Tulsa
Jim Clark	Commissioner	Osage County
Dan Delozier	Commissioner	Rogers County
Magan Delozier	Rogers Co. Plan. Comm.	Tulsa County
Stanley Glanz	Sheriff	Tulsa County
Jim Hargrove	Commissioner	Wagoner County
Doug Haught	Mayor	City of Sapulpa
Jerry Hefner	Commissioner	Wagoner County
Mike Helm	Commissioner	Rogers County
Jack Henderson	City Council Member	City of Tulsa
Scott Hilton*	Commissioner	Osage County
Dana Hudgins	Commissioner	Creek County
Richard Keck	Citizen	Wagoner County Towns
Susan Kimball	City Council Member	City of Owasso
Rita Lamkin	Mayor	City of Catoosa
Jon M. McGrath	Citizen	Tulsa County
Randi Miller*	Commissioner	Tulsa County
Robert Morton	Mayor	City of Coweta
Mike Nunneley*	Citizen	Creek County Towns
Fred Perry	Commissioner	Tulsa County
John Pippin	Citizen	Osage County Towns
Bud Ricketts	City Council Member	Town of Skiatook
Stan Sallee	Mayor	City of Collinsville
John Selph, Chairman*	Citizen	Tulsa County
Brant Shallenburger	Mayor	City of Claremore
Ed Slyman	City Council Member	City of Bristow
John Smaligo	Commissioner	Tulsa County
Wes Smithwick	Citizen	Tulsa County
Kathy Taylor*	Mayor	City of Tulsa
Kirt Thacker	Commissioner	Rogers County
Craig Thurmond	Vice Mayor	City of Broken Arrow
Roscoe Turner	City Council Member	City of Tulsa
Tom Vincent	Commissioner	Wagoner County
Vic Vreeland, Treasurer*	Mayor	City of Jenks
Rick Westcott	City Council Member	City of Tulsa
Phil Wood	Auditor	City of Tulsa
Cathy Worten	City Council Member	City of Pawhuska
Ken Yazel	Tulsa County Assessor	Tulsa County

Alternates:

John Eagleton	City Council Member	City of Tulsa
William Martinson	City Council Member	City of Tulsa
Dennis Troyer	City Council Member	City of Tulsa

What is infill?

Infill is new construction that 'fills in' empty lots in areas that are already established. Good infill should "develop seamlessly within an existing urban fabric, balancing, completing, and/or repairing the surrounding sectors." Key considerations are:

"Setback is the distance from the front facade of the house to the steet and should be the same distance as other houses on the street. Height should be compatible with the height of buildings surrounding the lot. Mass pertains to the bulk of the house. It should be similar, rather than wider or longer than its neighbors. Scale of the house's height and width should be compatible with the proportions of other homes in the block. Facade, the face of the house, should not appear flat, nor should it be dominated by a garage. Windows and Doors should emphasize the vertical, taller rather than wider. Roofs should have a pitch, or angle of roof, that is similar to others in the neighborhood."

— Glossary of Terms (The Lexicon of the New Urbanism: MCDA, Minneapolis, MN)